February 29, 2016

The background of the farm now includes the distinct chatter of song birds chirping as they work to build their homes for the year. The oak trees are just begging to push their new leaves from the branches that have been bare all winter. The hills are green with grass. The weather is not predictable, blue skies and sunny one day, dark clouds and rain the next. Spring is indeed here.

The farm operations are beginning to pick up. We have seeded our third planting of spring vegetables. The lettuces from the first planting have two leaves. The spinach is about an inch tall, and the cilantro smells just like cilantro. The fields that will be the homes to our summer fruits and vegetables are ready to receive their plants. The beds have been neatly cultivated and shaped - now each bed has one line of drip tape placed right down its center.

Next week, we will begin to receive our first tomato plants from the greenhouse. Heirloom tomatoes, red slicers, yellow slicers and a mix of cherry tomatoes are all on the list. Not long after the tomato plants are pinched into the ground, the eggplant, peppers, squash and melon transplants will be ready. Watching the weather this time of year is a daily occurrence. What are the odds of it raining? How much will it rain? Do we need to adjust our plans? If the weather is nice and the soil is dry enough to work, the mentality shifts to how much we can get done today.

The stone fruit trees are beautifully decorated with bright pink and white flowers. Bees are busy buzzing from tree to tree, doing their part in ensuring a good crop will dangle from the branches this summer. Between the rows of the stone fruit trees, cover crop stands several feet tall. It will not be long until the precious organic matter of that crop is chopped and tilled back into the soil that will nurture the orchard for the summer. Next to the stone fruit trees, the fig orchards still lay dormant; their gray branches stand tall with no indication of change. It will be another month until the first fig leaves begin to poke out.

Directions:
Blender/Food Processor Directions: Tear the mustard green leaves off the stems and compost the stems. Peel and core the apples and roughly chop them. Put the mustard greens, apples, kiwi, yogurt and ice (or frozen banana) in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Juicer Directions: Feed the mustard green stalks down the chute one at a time until processed. Cut the apples in half or quarters and feed them down the chute one at a time. Pour the mustard green/apple juice into a blender and add the kiwi, yogurt and ice (or frozen banana) and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

How To Add Juicing Fruits and Vegetables To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. On the second page of customizations, you’ll find “Produce by the Case” and can stock up if you want a larger batch of produce for juices.The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

February 24, 2016

Have you ever tried (or heard of) Golden Milk? We kept seeing this interesting-sounding drink pop up on Pinterest, and when we found out it had turmeric in it, we decided we'd better investigate. There are many studies that show the health benefits of turmeric, such as anti-inflammatory benefits, helping with depression and insomnia. Whether you decide to drink this for health benefits or not, this Fresh Turmeric Golden Milk Tea is delicious. This comforting "tea" kind of tastes like a spicy Chai tea (though you can put in fewer spices if you want the taste to be more mild).

We prefer using fresh turmeric instead of the ground powder, but please be aware that turmeric can stain clothes and nails easily. We found that a spoonful of sugar scrubbed into our hands can help take the stain off our skin. (Dishes seemed to be fine and rinsed off easily).

Directions:
Use the finest setting on your grater to grate the turmeric and ginger. If you don't have a grater, you can do a very fine mince.

Okay, this is important: If you are using dairy milk and not a milk alternative, you NEED to do step one. We tried skipping step one and our tea turned into a custard. We have no idea why that happened — any scientists reading please feel free to weigh in — but it did.

1. Combine the milk, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, honey and black pepper in a blender. Purée until combined.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the mixture over low heat for 5 minutes, whisking frequently to prevent the milk from burning.
3. Pour into a mug, sprinkle with more cinnamon if desired and enjoy!

How To Add Fresh Turmeric, Ginger and Honey To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. On the second page of customizations, you’ll find “Produce by the Case” and can stock up if you want a larger batch of produce for juices.The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

February 22, 2016

From the Fields - Thaddeus
The week has been warm in the afternoons. Dare I say hot? The weather had been so gorgeous that the sunscreen got pulled out of the bathroom, and the bottle needed to be dusted off before I lathered my face and arms, breathing in a smell that I am really not that fond of.

The forecast was calling for rain in a few days, so the farm bustled with activity. The ground was still wet from previous rain, but not soaking wet - no mud - just moisture under the cracked soil surface, but it was firm enough to support a tractor and field crews.

The kale fields were our primary focus. One field made it through the winter with no aphids, and there was enough product to get one more pick. But the kale, like the chirping birds on the farm, knew that spring was near and had started sending up seed heads that would soon blossom into bouquets of tiny, yellow flowers. In the background, a red-tailed hawk circled high above the working crew in hopes that they would scare up a late lunch.

In a field away, a hand crew was taking a chance to rid the baby carrot plants of the competing weeds that had sprouted over the course of the wet spell. Next to that field, our sweet pea flowers and strawberries had a tractor working to cultivate the rows and beds. Not far from that, another tractor equipped with our seeding equipment was sowing the first seeds for the year - bok choy, carrots, beets and gai lan. Everyone was working at a pace that knows this blue-sky weather would be short lived.

The morning didn’t start like the rest. The sky was not blue, but filled with clouds. It was windy. There was a feeling in the air that my wife noted, and we agreed a storm was coming. Late in the afternoon, water droplets started falling from the sky and pounded the roof of my office. Looking outside, you could see each individual droplet and the force with which they collided into earth made me look closely to ensure it was rain and not a hail storm that was making all the racket!

That night we received about half an inch of rain, just enough to make us glad we seeded a bit early, got our harvest done for the week and cleaned up our carrots. The forecast is rain then sun for two days, then rain. Now, this is spring weather – unpredictable yet welcome.

February 18, 2016

Have you ever tried romanesco cauliflower? We love this beautiful vegetable not only because it represents a fractal - a never-ending pattern often found in nature - but also because romanesco is delicious! It tastes like a broccoli-cauliflower cross, with a delicate flavor and cauliflower crunch. To enjoy romanesco, chop off the bottom and cut into florets, like you would cauliflower. Also, try our two recipes below for some other ways to enjoy this awesome vegetable. If you haven't tried romanesco before, give it a shot. You know what they say: when in Rome-anesco.

Romanesco simmered in red curry and coconut milk makes this a side dish that really shines. You could also serve this over rice for a more substantial meal and soak up the delicious sauce!

Directions:
Cut the romanesco into florets, trying to keep them a similar size for even cooking. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Throw in the romanesco and sauté until tender, 3-5 minutes. (The romanesco will still have a little bit of a crunch to it, which is how we like it. However, if you like your romanesco softer, you'll need to cook it longer, up to 20 minutes).

Pour in the coconut milk and curry paste and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the romanesco is soft, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve and garnish with green onions and cilantro if desired.

Romanesco has a delicate flavor and the crunch of cauliflower. We love roasting it to enjoy its simple flavor.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the romanesco into florets, trying to keep them a similar size for even cooking. Spread the romanesco onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat and season with salt, pepper and cheese if using.

Roast for 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, or until the romanesco is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.

How To Add Romanesco To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. On the second page of customizations, you’ll find “Produce by the Case” and you can stock up if you want a larger batch of produce for juices.The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add more farm products like olive oil, jams, salt, etc. to your delivery. Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

February 15, 2016

There is a sweet smell in the air. The birds are chirping more than they usually do. Some fruit trees are beginning to decorate their bare branches with pops of pink color, which are literally the explosion of their newly formed buds for the year. The hills are green with grass. It is almost impossible to see any evidence of last year’s dried grass. There is no mistaking the feeling that spring is springing, but I have seen this before, and deep in my bones, I know that winter is lingering out there over the Pacific. She will be back for another visit.

With the dry, sunny weather, we are excited to get caught up from the many weeks of operation-stopping mud. Older fields of chards, kales and beets have become resort towns for aphids, and now, our mowers and disks are turning everything back into the earth. After that, our mix of cold weather-loving cover crops (grains and peas) will be sown into the ground to keep the weeds down, and turn nitrogen gas in the air into organic nitrogen that crops will use to increase the organic matter percentage in the soil – not a bad deal at all. Love thy cover crop.

The warm weather has our asparagus field on high alert. It is starting to send up a shoot here and a shoot there. Under the cover of a greenhouse, our tomato plants are being tricked into thinking that now is a good time to germinate. Because our greenhouses will keep them protected from frost (that is bound to be back in the next four weeks), it is a good idea for them to germinate. This will make them ready to be put out into the field in the middle of March, which in all my days has always been a date on which our farm can count on never seeing frost again until the winter.

There remain several fields of vegetables that don’t have the aphids, and from these fields we are harvesting as much as we can with the sunny days. Every couple of hours, a tractor with a field trailer leaves. On the trailer are boxes neatly organized onto pallets that are then neatly organized onto the trailer. Each box has its label side out and in each box are 24 bunches of kale that are headed to our cooler before heading to your home.

Directions:
Blender/Food Processor Directions: Peel and core the apple and roughly chop them. Trim the ends off the carrots and peel. Dice the carrots. Peel the ginger and roughly chop. Put the apple, carrots and ginger in a food processor or blender with a little bit of water and process until smooth. Strain if desired, pour into a glass and enjoy!

Juicer Directions: Cut the apples in half or quarters and feed them down the chute one at a time. Trim the ends off the carrots and feed them down the chute one at a time until processed. Toss the knob of ginger in (peeled or unpeeled). Pour the juice into a glass and enjoy!

February 10, 2016

We've found a new love - in the form of a bowl. These three bowl recipes are healthy, filling and delicious. Though there are a few components, everything can be made and ready to go before the rice is done cooking. We also like to make these for dinner and then bring the leftovers for lunch. However you choose to make your bowl, you can't go wrong.

With rice, roasted veggies, toasted chickpeas and an avocado dressing, this is one balanced bowl. Feel free to swap the veggies for whatever you have on hand. If you bring this for lunch, we recommend bringing the dressing in a separate container so you can heat the rice and veggies first.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the beets and sweet potatoes into 2-inch chunks and spread them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the cauliflower into florets and put them on a separate baking sheet. Cut the carrots into 1-inch chunks and add them to the baking sheet with the cauliflower. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the beets and sweet potatoes for 20 minutes until fork tender and the cauliflower and carrots for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and season with the chili powder, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 5 minutes until beginning to toast. Remove from heat.

To make the avocado sauce: In a food processor or blender, combine 1/2 the avocado, lemon juice, garlic and Greek yogurt. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If you want a thinner sauce, drizzle in 1/4 cup cold water and mix until smooth. Set aside.

To assemble the bowls, place the brown rice on a large plate or bowl. Arrange the roasted vegetables on the rice. Add the chickpeas over the top. Drizzle the whole bowl with the avocado sauce. Dig in!

The green rice pilaf is delicious on its own, but we love it even more with creamy roasted butternut squash and fresh, crunchy cabbage. The avocado and pepitas are a fantastic bonus. If you bring this for lunch, we recommend bringing the cabbage and avocado in separate containers to maintain their freshness.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the seeds from the butternut squash and cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. Spread them out on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor combine the kale, cilantro, shallot and water and process until combined.

Thinly slice the cabbage using a mandoline or very sharp knife.

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Pour in the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Once the rice starts to toast, about 1 minute, pour in the kale mixture and stir to combine. Add in the broth and bring to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, cover and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook the rice 35-40 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

To assemble the bowls, place the rice in a large bowl. Arrange the roasted butternut squash on the rice. Add the cabbage and 1/4 of the avocado to each bowl. Garnish with cilantro and pepitas if desired. Dig in!

This bowl with sauteed kale, brown beech mushrooms and chickpeas pairs perfectly with roasted sweet potatoes. The herb tahini dressing is addicting! If you bring this for lunch, we recommend bringing the dressing in a separate container so you can heat the rice and veggies first.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch chunks and spread them out on a baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven.

Make the herb tahini: In a blender or food processor combine the tahini, water, garlic clove, cilantro and lemon juice and process until combined. Taste and season with salt.

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and brown beech mushrooms until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the chickpeas and cook until warmed, about 3 minutes. Toss in the kale and stir to combine. Cook until the kale is beginning to soften, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

To assemble the bowls, place the rice in a large bowl. Arrange the sweet potatoes on the rice. Add the kale and chickpea mixture. Drizzle with the herb tahini dressing. Dig in!

How To Add Vegetables and Rice To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

February 8, 2016

FARM NEWS

The hills are starting to turn green, and from an airplane, their color is the only thing about them that looks the same as it does from the ground. The landscape is almost unrecognizable; it has no depth,
only texture, and the feeling of them being big is gone. The hills that normally are the backdrop to the farm are an obstacle that requires Greg to make a small adjustment to fly over them – a task the little plane has no issue doing.

February 4, 2016

Photo by Rancho Llano Seco
We know that our customers are familiar with Llano Seco’s delicious heirloom bean varieties but this ranch has a unique history, philosophy and long-standing commitment to sustainable farming that we wanted to share with our farm family. Located at the northern end of California’s Sacramento Valley, the 18,000-acre ranch is home to native grasslands, wetlands and forests abundant with wildlife.

Photo by Rancho Llano Seco
Rancho Llano Seco was incorporated in 1861 and has a rich history of balancing agriculture, livestock husbandry and conservation. The Rancho is one of the last Mexican land grant properties that remains intact. It is a reminder of a lost era when Californian, American, Mexican and Spanish history intersected.

Photo by Rancho Llano Seco
Between 1991 and 2006, the ranch’s owners took a bold step, destined to change the Llano Seco landscape forever. They sold conservation easements to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy in 1991 and an agricultural conservation easement to Northern California Regional Land Trust in 2006, guaranteeing the protection of natural habitats on this land in perpetuity.

Photo by Rancho Llano Seco

With over 150 years of experience cultivating legumes and cereals, Llano Seco has applied their know-how to growing older varieties of beans and grains, ensuring that heirlooms continue to be available for those who put a premium on flavor.

If you haven't already tried Llano Seco's heirloom beans, we highly recommend that you do.This flavorful, comforting soup is easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. It's also filling and makes a great leftover for lunch.Brazilian Black Bean Soup(serves 4)

Drain the beans and place them in a large soup pot. Add the 8 cups of water (the water will cook down) and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the beans are cooked through, about an hour and a half. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the onions, garlic, chopped parsley, cumin and Tabasco sauce to the soup pot and cook for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley if desired. This soup would also be good with sliced avocado, sour cream, green onions and cilantro.

Check out our other Llanco Seco bean recipes to try:

Crockpot Chili Let your crockpot do the work for you and come home to dinner.Hoppin' John This recipe doesn't just have to be for New Year's! We love the creamy, buttery, black-eyed peas in this dish.Love Me Lima Bean Soup Lima beans are no longer the foods your parents used to punish you with.

How To Add Llano Seco Beans To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and we have some special treats in store for you and your loved ones. Though Valentine's Day can sometimes feel a little over-the-top, we love the idea of taking one day (at least!) to celebrate those you love. Whether you want to thank your bestie for always being there, your significant other, or mom and dad, we've got some great presents to make them feel special. The best part is that all of these gifts are from some of our favorite local family farms.

Sweet on Him Gift Baskets

What better way to let the guy in your life know how much he means to you than with a gift basket? Spice things up with some Omnivore Volcano Hot Sauce; Old Dog Ranch Organic Walnuts (in the shell), Chivas Hefeweizen Beer Goat Soap; Old Dog Ranch Whiskey Spice Walnuts; Far West Funghi mushroom jerky; Pick-A-Peck Spicy Pickled Green Beans and Capay Organic roasted, salted pistachios.

Sweet on Her Breakfast Gift Baskets

We think every woman deserves a gift basket on Valentine's Day no matter what. What better way to pamper yourself (okay, fine, or your friend) than with a basket full of love? Let someone make you breakfast in bed with some Moonshine Trading Co. California Star Thistle Honey; Currant Rose Muesli; Laura Ann's Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam; Moonshine Trading Co. Beeswax Candle; Old Dog Ranch Candied Walnuts; Pachamama Coffee and Old Dog Ranch Raw Honey and Sea Salt Walnut Butter.

(We wish we could include a butler and a masseuse, but we still haven't figured out how to fit them into a gift basket).

Beer Soap Trio Gift Bag

What guy wouldn't want to take a shower using soap made with beer? These goat milk soaps from Chivas smell so good we know you'll love them. This gift bag comes with three different flavored soaps: Wild BillyPatchouli Beer Soap; HefeweizenHoney Citrus Beer Soap and Creamy AleUnscented Beer Soap.

Floral Soap Trio Gift Bag

Send your loved one a bouquet of flowers in the form of soaps! These goat milk soaps from Chivas smell so good - you'll be dreaming of your next shower all day. This gift bag comes with three different flavored soaps: Santa Rosa ValleyLemon Eucalyptus; Las Flores GardensSoothing Chamomile Rose and Ojai Valley RetreatCalming Lavender Oatmeal.

Individual Soaps

In addition to the goat milk soap trio gift bags, we're also offering some of the select soaps individually. That way, you can play the "One for you, One for me" game.

Las Flores GardensSoothing Chamomile Rose is described as a floral soap designed for dry or mature skin. The soap has chamomile, ylang ylang, rose geranium, rosehip seed oil and pink clay.

Ojai Valley RetreatCalming Lavender Oatmeal is described as a mild soap for all skin types with lavender, grapefruit, rosewood and oatmeal.

Hefeweizen HoneyCitrus Beer Soap is a 3-in-1 soap for the face, body and hands. It has a refreshing citrus scent and is made with beer and goat milk so you get the benefits of both.

Creamy AleUnscented Beer Soap is a 3-in-1 soap safe for the face, body and hands. It's unscented for those with sensitive skin and in addition to the beer and goat milk it also has castor oil and cocoa butter.

This Valentine's Day share the gift of an evening inspired by the season's best ingredients! We all know the way to our hearts is through our stomach; a delicious, four-course meal with wine pairings shared with someone you love is the perfect way to celebrate each other. Get your True Food Kitchen dinner tickets here.

This Valentine's Day share the gift of an evening inspired by the season's best ingredients! We all know the way to our hearts is through our stomach; a delicious, four-course meal with wine pairings shared with someone you love is the perfect way to celebrate each other. Get your Mulvaney's dinner tickets here.

How To Add Valentine's Day Gifts To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

February 1, 2016

FARM NEWS

A nice storm finished this week. The wind moved in and blew most of the clouds away, leaving a few huge, puffy clouds in a clear sky. The green grass on the hills is glowing. My default thought of the hills is to think of them as the yellow of dry grass – this leads me to always think that something looks strange when the hills are green.